Couple of Lost Souls
by Jediempress
Summary: Complete. Sassy Aloo asked and I'm insane. Reno and Demyx meet. Please read even if your merely curious, reviews are wonderful.
1. Chapter 1

Once I thought of a way for this to work, it wrote itself. Could be a second part if enough interest.

Couple of Lost Souls

"Axel?" A rather musical voice asked quietly from behind him.

He turned around and met jade colored eyes. The face that framed them frowned in disappointment. "Oh, uh, guess not. Sorry."

Thin lips quirked in amusement. "Not too many guys around with this color hair."

"Uh, no there isn't." The blonde ran fingers through his oddly cut hair.

Tilting his head, he asked. "What's your name, kid?"

"Demyx. What's yours?"

He regarded the other for a long moment. Something about the blonde aroused his curiosity and he was bored as hell anyway. He ate the last bite of his sandwich and finished his water. "Reno."

"Oh." Demyx was studying him rather closely.

"Come on." Reno tossed some munny on the table. He stood and moved off, knowing the other would follow. Sure enough the blonde, after a moment's hesitation, scrambled after him.

Reno pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and as he blew out the first breath of smoke, glanced at the shorter man beside him. Though clearly an adult, there was an obvious childishness to him. His expression was open but there was a depth to his eyes as if he had seen too much in his life but refused to let it bring him down.

It was quite an intriguing mix.

"So, this Axel guy you're lookin' for, he got hair like mine?"

"Yeah. Same color though styled totally differently." Demyx spoke animatedly. "And he has emerald eyes and diamond tattoos under his eyes."

There was another redhead out there with facial tattoos? "Huh. Why'd he get those?"

Demyx shrugged. "He had them from the beginning."

Well that was a strange statement. "Beginning of what?"

The blonde's steps faltered. "Uh, well, since I've known him."

"Right." Reno drawled out. "So why you looking for him, yo? He your boyfriend or something?"

"Nooo!" The other blushed. "It's just… I'm kinda alone out here. Actually, I don't even know why I'm here because, well, any way when I saw the hair, I just hoped…"

"That it was someone you knew."

"Yeah."

They walked in silence. Reno flicked his cigarette butt away. Sounded like the guy was in the same position he was. Both were strangers in a strange land, looking for something they recognized.

And for whatever reason, he found the kid rather cute. He shook his head at himself. He had been alone for way too long. But still…

"You like music?"

Green eyes brightened and Reno knew he had Demyx's complete attention. "I play sitar!"

Reno had no idea what a sitar was nor did he really care. He slung an arm around Demyx's shoulders. "There's a club a couple blocks away. I'll buy you a drink, yo."

"A drink?"

"Yeah, you know, a drink." The Turk laughed.

"Uh, okay."

Reno grinned. This was gonna be a fun night.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I can't believe the response this got. So here's the second part. Let me know if I should do a third.

--0—0—0—0—

The street was nearly abandoned when they exited the club, Demyx stumbling a bit on the curb. He laughed loudly in a rather child-like manner. "Shoot. Didn't see that."

Reno smirked at the blonde who had somehow become rather endearing over the course of the previous few hours. One drink had turned into four and the guy had managed to convince the Turk to dance with him.

Reno rarely actually danced at clubs.

"So where to next?" Demyx tried to walk the curb but kept falling over.

The redhead watched him idly. "Dunno. Where do you want to go?"

"There any water around here?"

"There's a reflecting pool three blocks away."

"Cool." The blonde gave up on the balancing act. He grabbed the thin man's hand and tugged him forward. "Let's go there."

Reno took the lead but Demyx did not release his hand. The pair walked the few streets to the war memorial where the pool sat. As they crossed the street to it, Demyx let go of Reno's hand to run ahead.

He kneeled on the edge of it and hunched over. Reno had no idea what the other was doing. It was not until he himself was a few feet away that he noticed.

Demyx had placed both his palms on the surface of the water. Slowly, rings began jumping up in liquid ripples, working their way out across the pool. The height of each ring increased as it fanned out.

"Wow." Reno was genuinely impressed. He pulled out a cigarette and brought it to his mouth. "That's a neat trick, yo."

The blonde grinned up at him, green eyes shining. "I wasn't sure if I could do it any more."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm not a Nobody any more." He turned back to the water. "Least I don't think I am."

Reno narrowed his eyes. _This_ was a Nobody? He did not buy it. Nobodies were those creepy looking, weaving silvery-grey things. This man was a living, breathing, conscious being.

"I'm not sure what I am now." Demyx spoke idly. He lifted one hand and began tracing patterns in the water. Further out in the pool, those patterns began appearing. "I thought Nobodies were supposed to fade back into darkness when they die but I came back."

"You died?"

"Yeah. Sora got me." He chuckled. "I knew he would. He's as good as Roxas was."

Reno had heard the name Roxas before. He had spent the past few months collecting as much information as he could about that was going on in the worlds. He had learned the location of several people he knew but had yet to figure out how to get to them.

"So is the Axel guy you mistook me for a Nobody, too?"

"Yeah. I figured if any of us would make it through it would be him. He had a real goal, something he cared about." A sad tone had entered the man's voice.

Reno blew out some smoke. He sat on the edge of the pool, letting his long legs stretch out. He turned his head to watch the water dance for a few minutes before turning back to the young man controlling it.

"What would you do if you found him, yo?"

Demyx bit his lip and glanced up. "Dunno. He was my friend. I'd just like to see a familiar face, you know?"

Reno snorted softly, returning his attention to the water. "Yeah, I get that."

"Hey, Reno?" The redhead flicked his blue eyes over. The blonde smiled softly at him. "Thanks for putting up with me."

The Turk stood and tossed his butt away. "You done here?"

"Uh, sure." Demyx removed his hands from the water, shaking them dry. "I guess it's really late and you want to get home."

"Where are you staying?"

"Uh, well…"

Reno figured as much. He took the other's arm and lead him from the pool. "You can stay at my place, yo."

Demyx looked at him uneasily. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."


	3. Chapter 3

I can't believe this is continuing. I will keep adding bits and pieces but this is a total side project. Don't expect too much. Forgive any errors... I wrote this while in the hospital today. Thank you everyone, and please, keep telling me why you like it.

--0—0—0—

"Morning." Demyx greeted brightly.

Reno looked over the kitchenette's counter. "You're making breakfast?"

"Uh, yeah." The blonde replied a bit shyly. "Since you were nice enough to let me stay, I felt I needed to do something for you. I mean, if you don't want me to…"

Reno shrugged. "Fine by me. Might be nice to eat something other than burnt bagels and dry cereal."

"Yeah." Demyx laughed nervously. "I noticed that your fridge was kinda empty."

"I'm not here often enough to really keep food around, yo." He watched as Demyx washed out a dirty mug. The blonde then filled the cleaned container with coffee. "You're the domestic type, aren't you?"

Demyx turned and handed the drink over with a smile. "I always got stuck with kitchen duty. No one else could cook. Well, Marly could but he said it was women's work which is _really_ funny cause he looked like a woman."

Reno raised an eyebrow but found himself grinning at the other's enthusiasm. Demyx had returned to the double burner stove. It appeared he was getting ready to make something.

"Hey, Demyx? Forget it. I wouldn't trust anything in here." The Turk took an experimental sip of his coffee. "This is good."

The blonde was frowning. "Okay, well… what do we do for breakfast then?"

Reno smirked at the pout the other was developing. He really did not know why he was finding this guy so endearing. He drank some more coffee and leaned against the door frame. "Throw all this shit out, yo. We'll go to the market and get new stuff."

Demyx stared at him, green eyes wide with surprise. "Are… are you sure?"

"Yeah." Reno ran an eye over him. "You could probably use some clothes too, yo."

The blonde was suddenly suspicious. "Why are you doing all this?"

The redhead shrugged and answered honestly. "No idea. Hurry up and get rid of that shit. I'm getting dressed."

By the time he returned to the kitchen, Demyx had emptied out the fridge and cabinet. Two neatly tied garbage bags sat in the middle of the floor but the blonde himself was no where to be seen. All of the dirty dishes had been washed also.

Reno turned toward the main room. Demyx was looking at the only picture in the room. Taking out a cigarette out, Reno stepped forward. He spoke around the filter as he lit it. "That's the group I use to belong to."

There was an odd look on Demyx's face. When he set the picture down and glanced at Reno, his eyes were sad. "Are they gone now?"

"Dunno. I haven't heard about any of them." He breathed out some smoke. "I think I know where some people I knew are but none of the other Turks."

"So you're just like me." Demyx whispered. "We're both alone out here."

The pair fell silent. Reno shifted a bit and after a minute, made for the door. "Come on, let's go shopping, yo."


	4. Chapter 4

"I've never been clothes shopping before." Demyx noted happily as they entered the only department store in town. "We all had to wear the exact same black coat."

"Yeah, we all had the same suit, too." Reno flicked his blue eyes about. He nodded and headed toward the rear right of the store, Demyx following closely behind. "Is that the coat you're wearing?"

"Yeah. I hate black." The blonde frowned. "It's so… emo. I like bright colors, not like obnoxiously bright or anything but, you know, color."

"Sure." Reno stopped before the men's section. "Well, go pick some stuff out."

Demyx grinned widely, placing both hands on Reno's cheeks before running off toward the pants rack. Reno stood there, stunned by the action. Why did he suddenly feel like the blonde was some chick he was trying to bag? More importantly, why didn't he care?

Shaking himself of the strange thought, he watched Demyx wander around. The young man was not joking about the bright colors. Every shirt he picked was a shade of blue or green and he found a few pairs of jeans along with one pair of khakis. There was no trace of black.

After getting Reno's opinion on the clothes, he chose an outfit to wear out and they proceeded to find a pair of shoes then to the check out. As the sales clerk, rang everything up Demyx kept glancing at the redhead nervously. When he heard the total, he started. "Oh, don't pay that much! I'll put some back-"

Reno batted away the blonde's reaching hand. "Quit whining, yo."

He handed the woman the money with a wink. She blushed some, looking away as she finished bagging and handed the newly purchased items over. After another flirtation grin, Reno took the bags.

"Here." He thrust the bags at Demyx. "I hear one word of protest, and I'll return everything."

"Uh…" Demyx took the bags and with bright sea-green eyes mumbled, "Thank you."

"Yeah." Reno pulled out a cigarette as they exited the store. "The market next."

--0—0—

Reno simply pushed the cart, telling his new unofficial roommate to by whatever he wanted. If he had thought the guy was excited at the clothing store, he was ecstatic going through the aisles picking out food. The Turk honestly had no idea what half of what Demyx brought was.

Laden down with bags, they walked back to the loft. They struggled a bit getting everything up the stairs but managed. Once in, Reno kicked the door shut behind him.

"I'm not doing _that_ again, yo."

Demyx laughed, already digging into the bags and opening cupboards. "Well, you said to get anything I thought the kitchen needed."

"I don't know what half this shit is." Reno lit another cigarette. "Not that I really care."

Demyx stopped and turned. "You know, I've never had someone just be nice to me. Well, Axel but we worked together." 

"What's your point?"

"I'm just wondering when the inevitable price for all of this is going to come." The blonde was completely serious. "What do you want from me?"

Reno studied him a long moment. No, he was not normally a nice person. It was not at all like him to pick up a stray from the street and just move him in. Most people he did not give the time of day to unless they could help him some how.

So why was this guy different?

He tapped some ash from his cigarette. "You know how to make spaghetti?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Reno rounded the sofa and flipped on the radio. He then flopped down on the passed sofa. "I want you to make it. Then we're square."

Demyx waited a moment. "Okay."

Reno could hear the smile in the blonde's voice and felt the corner of his own lip curl. He closed his eyes and listened as Demyx resumed putting things away. It really was nice having someone else here.


	5. Chapter 5

"Morning, Reno."

The redhead mumbled something that he hoped passed for a greeting. If not, oh well. He had slept rather fitfully and had tried repeatedly this morning to go back to sleep but it just never happened.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Demyx asked cheerfully.

"Coffee, as strong as it gets around here."

Demyx frowned, retrieving a mug and filling it with stated beverage. He came over to where Reno had settled himself on the couch. Handing the mug over, he asked, "Bad night?"

"What was your first clue, yo?"

"Sorry. That was a dumb question."

"Yeah, it was."

The blonde quickly turned away, mumbling an apology as he returned to the kitchen. In silence, he washed the few dishes in the sink. Setting them in the drying rack, he looked around to find something else to do.

He did not know why, but the redhead's words had _hurt_. It was not like he had never been snapped at before; Roxas and Zexion had practically mastered the art. So why did he have this sudden urge to cry?

Reno sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, yo. That was uncalled for. Guess I'm just bitchy today."

Demyx nodded automatically.

"Hey, look at me."

Demyx moved so that his back now rested against the sink. He blinked his moist eyes and bit his lip. Why was he so embarrassed?

Tattooed blue eyes studied him closely. Reno twisted his upper body to face the other. "I didn't mean to you cry, yo. I wasn't that mean."

The other blew out a breath, wiping at his teary face. "I know. And believe me, I've had a lot worse said to me. I think I was the member of the Organization everyone took they're frustrations out on. I don't know why…"

Reno chewed his lip in thought. "You're a Nobody, right? And you were killed or whatever?"

Demyx nodded.

"Come here." The Turk beckoned. When Demyx complied, he motioned the blonde to sit beside him. "You understand emotions, right?"

Demyx nodded. "Yeah, Axel and I talked about them all the time."

"But you never _felt_ them."

"Well, yeah," The blonde shrugged. Then he abruptly froze, something in his green eyes shifted and he placed a hand to his chest. "Wait. Do you think..?"

Reno smirked. "I think you got yourself what all Nobodies strive for, yo."

Demyx stared dumbly at his torso. A thousand things flitted across his expression as he tried to wrap his mind around this development. "I… I have a heart."

Reno grinned. "I'm no expert but I'd say so."

He suddenly found himself engulfed by Demyx's arms. The other man hugged him tightly and he fought the urge to throw him off. He reckoned this was probably a natural reaction to something like this.

When Demyx moved away, he truly was crying. He seemed extremely confused. "Now why am I crying? I'm so… so…"

"You're overwhelmed, yo." Reno got up and located some tissue. "They're called tears of joy."

"Oh." Demyx took the tissue and dabbed at his eyes. "I guess that explains all the odd feelings I've been having."

"Likely." Pulling out a cigarette, he sat back down.

Demyx watched Reno light the stick and take his first draw of it. When the Turk glanced at him, he jumped to his feet and moved toward the kitchen. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"I'm sure you can handle it. We all do."

The water wielder paused before the small refrigerator. "Does it hurt to think about the people in that picture?"

"Hurt?"

"I don't know how else to describe it. I don't feel it toward the whole Organization but when I think about some of them, I get this pain in my chest. It's like I'm missing something."

Reno wondered how he had gotten in this position. He was not the guy to ask about emotions and all that. Shinra had pretty much killed him of most of that.

"Is it that I miss them?" Demyx continued absently. "I guess that must be it. Man, if this hurts than I don't want to imagine what Axel would be going through. He took Roxas leaving badly enough but if he had been able to really _feel_ it…"

He opened the fridge and took out some eggs and butter. "So do you miss any of the people you worked with?"

Reno turned his head to look at the photo Demyx was referring to. "Not really. We weren't encouraged to make friends among the ranks. The higher ups wanted us to be able to work together but be able to turn against each other if necessary. It was rare that any of us worked with the same person more than a handful of times."

"Xemnas probably would have wanted the same thing." Demyx placed a frying pan on the stove. "Of course, since none of us really had feelings he didn't really worry too much about it. At least, not until Axel and Roxas. Those two were inseparable but since they did such a great job, no one interfered."

"Rufus liked me and Rude so we ended up being partners." Reno blew out some smoke. "We were damn good, too."

The blonde started toasting bread. "So you miss him?"

"Yeah, I guess I kinda do."

The two fell silent. The soft noises of Demyx frying eggs were all that could be heard for several minutes. After some time, he removed two plates. He buttered the toast and placed the eggs atop them.

He brought both plates over and sat beside Reno, handing him one. The redhead glanced at it before looking up. Blue eyes met green for a second before he took the plate, dousing his cigarette with his other hand.

They ate quietly for a few minutes.

"So what do you want to do today, yo?"

"Can we just walk around town?"

"Sure."


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a rather pleasant day. They walked nearly the entire town, stopping at the street café they had originally met at for a late lunch. Demyx asked whatever questions came to mind and Reno did his best to answer them.

He found himself rather disappointed that he could not answer many of them satisfactorily. At least, he did not feel like he could. Trying to guide Demyx though understanding some of the new things he was feeling was making the Turk realize how empty much of his life had been.

There was so much he had not known he was missing.

"Hey, Reno?" There was an uncertain tone to Demyx voice.

"Yeah?"

"If you could go home, would you?"

Blue eyes narrowed at Demyx. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess I mean, if you could go back to wherever it is you came from and be with everyone again, would you?"

Reno had to think about that one for a minute. Of all the ideas and plans that had flitted through his mind since he woke up on this world, he had never considered the possibility of going home. "You know, I've never once thought about going back. I'd like to find out what happened to certain people and there are a select few I wouldn't mind seeing but as to going back… I honestly don't really care if I never see Midgar again, yo."

The blonde regarded him. "So, you have no attachment to where you lived?"

"Nope."

"Huh." Demyx tilted his head. "I think I get that. I don't feel anything particular when I think about the castle. It's the other guys I want to know about."

The Turk studied the other for a moment, taking a slow drag on his cigarette. "Do you have any idea where any of them might have ended up if they did return?"

"No. I don't have a clue why I'm here," an odd smile came to Demyx face. "Wherever here is."

"Twilight Town, yo." Reno smirked. "Didn't you notice that the sun never seems to fully rise? The day is in perpetual sunset."

Demyx was not paying attention anymore. A strange look came to his features as he began surveying his surroundings as if really seeing them for the first time. "This is Twilight Town?"

"You've heard of it?"

"Yeah," Was the slow response. "Roxas came from here… Axel talked about it some."

The blonde grinned widely at Reno. "Maybe he is here."

"Maybe," the redhead shrugged neutrally. Something in the back of his mind was hoping that Demyx's friends were not here. If the man found the people he was looking for, he would likely leave Reno to be with them.

That thought really troubled him.

"I wouldn't even begin to know where to look." Demyx continued, not noticing Reno's sudden aloofness. "Axel mentioned a sandlot and an old mansion. Maybe I should find those places and ask around."

"The sandlot is a few blocks away." Reno shook off the peculiar feeling that had come over him. "I've heard rumors about an abandoned mansion in the woods but I don't know where."

"Can you take me?" Green eyes met his hopefully. There was something so earnest to his expression.

Reno fought back a sigh. "Yeah, let's go."

--0—0—

The sandlot was nearly abandoned but that was usual. The few times Reno had been there, it had been empty with the exception of a small group of local wanna-be thugs. They had eyed the redhead suspiciously and the presumed leader had tried warning him off of his apparent turf.

Reno had put the brat in his place rather quickly.

Off in the distance, on the other side of the fighting ring that occupied a majority of the lot, two members of that group conversed. The female glanced over and nudged the taller, bulkier male. They then quickly left the area.

Demyx walked up to the ring, placing his hands on the lowest rope. "Is this where they do that Struggle thing?"

"Yeah," Reno flicked his cigarette. "That is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of, yo. Foam bats…"

"Yeah, Axel was pretty disgusted by it, too." The blonde wandered slowly along the raised platform. "I don't think we're going to find anything here."

"Doesn't seem likely. Two bad the idiots ran off, we could have asked them about that mansion."

"Yeah." Demyx's shoulders slumped. He turned and leaned his back against the edge. He stared down at the ground. "I shouldn't get my hopes up. It's probably just another dead-end."

Reno studied him for a long moment. Not at all sure why, he found himself walking toward the other. He stopped just before him and almost of its own accord, his hand reached up and lifted Demyx chin.

He gave the former Nobody a small smile. "We'll find something."

Demyx bit his lip, an odd shine coming to his eyes. He only nodded and when Reno removed his hand, looked after the taller man as he moved away. "Reno…"

"Come on," The Turk pulled out another cigarette. "Let's go find some kids to tell us about this town's urban legends, yo."


	7. Chapter 7

"Where are we going, Reno?" Demyx frowned as they turned down an alley. They walked through an opening in a high, wire fence.

"There's some kids that hang out here that owe me a favor." Reno flicked his cigarette away. Several stacked boxes and various other things created an artificial wall. He raised his voice. "Yo, anyone around?"

"Who wants to know?" A rough voice called back.

Reno grinned. "Red."

He did not wait for a reply and walked past the fake wall. Demyx followed and they entered what was clearly a group hangout. There were rugs on the ground and a couch along one of the walls. Crates served as tables and chairs, spread out sporadically all over.

Two teenaged boys sat on crates, the dark blonde one getting to his feet as Reno and Demyx approached them. He slapped Reno's hand and eyed Demyx suspiciously. "Who's this?"

"This is a friend of mine." The Turk replied easily. "He's looking for some friends of his and needs some information."

The other boy grinned at Demyx even as his friend folded his arms in a stand-offish position. "I'm Pence and that's Hayner."

Hayner scowled for a moment. "I don't know how we're going to be able to help you."

"We just need to know where that supposedly haunted mansion is." Reno shrugged. "If you know anything about it, we're all ears."

Hayner frowned and glanced at Pence, who also looked concerned. The blonde turned back to Reno. "Why?"

"My friend talked about it a few times." Demyx answered. "Another one of our friends was there for a while."

"The only other person to show any interest in that place was Sora," noted Pence with a shake of his head.

"You guys know Sora?" Demyx suddenly grew excited. "Is he here?"

"We haven't seen him in months." Hayner stated. "How do you know him?"

Demyx rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, well, that's a kinda long story…"

Hayner snorted. "Isn't it always with Sora?"

"Sounds like it," Reno uncrossed his arms. "Look, we just need to see this place so can you take us?"

"Yeah, we can take you but there's nothing there." Hayner shrugged, motioning his black haired friend forward. Pence slid off his crate and joined up with the group. "We gotta meet up with Olette in an hour so we can't stay."

"That's fine." Reno shot Demyx a trace of a smile. The blonde man was practically beside himself with excitement. "Once I know how to get there, I can find my way back."

--0—0—

The two teenagers left them outside the mansion gate, Pence giving them a friendly wave while Hayner merely nodded at Reno. Once they disappeared, Demyx looked to Reno. "What's with Hayner?"

"Ah, he's just the local attitude problem." Reno stepped toward the wrought iron. "He's like that with pretty much everyone."

Demyx stood beside him. He looked over the large house and was suddenly very nervous. He did not know what he was going to find here, if anything.

Suddenly Reno's hand was on his shoulder. The redhead did not look at him but the simple gesture calmed the blonde immediately. Taking a step forward, Demyx opened the gate.

They walked quietly through the courtyard and into the building, glancing around the main hall. The air was dusty and there was a broken table in the center. Stairs led up to a balcony that wrapped completely around the space.

"Doesn't look like anyone's been here for years." Reno commented, approaching the broken table. "Any idea where we should be going in here?"

Demyx shook his head. "There's a computer room that Axel mentioned. He said it was the last place he got to talk to Roxas but he didn't say where in the mansion it was."

"Then I guess we do this the Turk way." Reno pulled out a cigarette. "Up or down?"

"Uh… up?"

Reno nodded and motioned the other to the stairs with a light smirk. "We investigate upstairs and work our way down."

They headed up the steps side-by-side. Green eyes continuously glanced at the tall redhead beside him. Demyx did not know the words to express his gratitude to the man for doing all of this.

On the landing, Reno turned left. "I say we start here and work our way around."

"Sounds good."

"Of course it does." Reno smirked. "I was the best at this kind of thing back home."

Demyx found himself smiling. He was not sure why. He was feeling rather… light. It did not make sense.

The Turk opened the first door and bright sunlight streamed into the hall. They stepped into a completely white room. The only color came from the numerous drawings and sketches that lined the walls.

"Whoa. Someone liked white, yo." Reno commented studying the nearest wall. "These are interesting drawings."

Demyx stared at long table in the center of the room. He took a step forward and picked up one of the sheets of paper on it. He knew this artwork. "Namine."

"Huh?"

"Namine is the girl who drew all of these." Demyx explained, setting down the sketch he held to begin looking at the wall Reno was regarding. "This has to be where she was working on Sora's memories."

Reno obviously had no idea what the former Nobody was talking about. He blew out some smoke and moved back allowing Demyx to go through every pinned up drawing. The blonde studied each of then closely, working his way around the room quietly. Reno really wanted to know what he was thinking.

When Demyx got to the last wall, he gasped and placed a hand to his mouth. Reno was beside him almost instantly. "What?"

He pointed at the drawing that had captured his attention. "That's Axel and Roxas."

Reno considered the rough coloring for a moment. "Are they holding hands, yo?"

"They were really close." Demyx touched the image lightly. "I think Axel really loved Roxas but he just didn't…_know_ it, you know? None of us really understood any of that."

Reno flicked his eyes at Demyx, noting the sad look in the other's green eyes. He found himself wanting to hug Demyx. Instead, he fixed his focus on the wall. "Axel does kind of look like me, yo."

Demyx suddenly grinned. "I told you. You could be his Other."

"That's kind of a scary thought, Dem." Reno turned away. He moved toward the door and once there realized the other had not followed him. He twisted his body toward Demyx.

Demyx was staring at him with a strange mix of emotions.

"What?"

"You just called me Dem."

"So?"

The blonde bit his lip and a moment passed. "Only three others have called me by that nickname."

Reno's lips tugged down. "Is that a problem?"

"No," Demyx blurted out. He suddenly seemed rather shy. "I just didn't know that you liked me enough to use a nickname."

The pair looked at each other in silence for a long breath of time. Something odd settled over the room that neither one really understood. They only knew that they did not particularly mind it.

Reno nudged Demyx forward with his head. "Come on. Let's check out the rest of this place."


	8. Chapter 8

There was nothing else of particular interest to be found on the second floor. There were several dusty bedrooms and two that seemed to have been occupied more recently but were still in a state of disuse. They returned to the staircase and traipsed back down to the ground floor.

Reno took a moment to flick his cigarette butt out the front door. When he returned to Demyx, he blew out a breath. "Well, at least we know something happened here."

"I already knew that much." The blonde whispered. He had been rather quiet since the white room.

Reno frowned. "Well, let's keep looking, yo."

"Right." Demyx turned left. He pushed open a set of double doors, Reno a few steps behind. They entered a dining room, the long table bare and cobwebs hanging from the chandelier. A swinging door in the back led to a kitchen that was just as barren.

Demyx looked around briefly before leaving the room to move on to the next. Reno simply followed him, noting the suddenly determined attitude that had taken hold of the other man. He had fixed all of his attention on finding the computer room that his friend had spoken of.

Eventually they found a room with a large, square hole in the floor and a staircase leading down. Demyx stopped at the top of them and stared down. "This has to be it."

Reno stepped beside him. He flicked his blue eyes over to study the former Nobody. Demyx radiated nervous energy and his green eyes held a cautious hope within them. He worried his lip.

Reno tapped him with his elbow. Demyx looked over and the redhead quirked a slightly amused eyebrow at him. "So, we going or what, yo?"

Demyx stared at him for a second before grinning. "Yeah."

He marched down the steps, Reno at his back. The blue-hued space only had one door and again Demyx paused. Without thinking, Reno reached over and took Demyx's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

The shorter man glanced down at the joined hands for a moment, a confused smile crossing his face. Then he squared his shoulders and moved closer to the door. It automatically slid open for them.

Reno released Demyx's hand and entered the room before him. It was definitely a computer room. To the left was an odd looking contraption and ahead, to the right, was a computer station with several banks of monitors.

The Turk whistled lowly, looking around. "Someone was doing a major stake-out in here. I can't even identify half of this shit."

Demyx wandered the room, almost in a daze. "Axel said there was a fake Twilight Town, which is where they kept Roxas hidden. I think this is where they controlled it from."

Someone had created a completely artificial world? Reno would love to have met that guy. He stood before the computer console, looking over the blank screens. This was just getting weirder and weirder.

Demyx stepped in front of another door that slid open and gasped, placing a hand on the frame. Reno whipped his head around, ponytail whirling over his shoulder. "What?"

"This is where they fought." Demyx spoke slowly, stepping into the new room. "I can tell by the smell and there are faint scorch marks along the walls."

Reno followed him in but remained close to the doorway. He let Demyx wander around, the blonde carefully running his eyes over everything. His steps were slow and deliberate.

When Demyx turned back to face him, there were tears in his green eyes. He blinked once at Reno. "Why does this hurt me so much?"

The redhead shrugged helplessly. "I don't really know."

Demyx took a few steps forward. "I just… remember the look in Axel's eyes when he came back from here. I remember the total devastation and hopelessness in his voice."

He stopped and stared at the floor. "I'm glad he couldn't truly feel this."

Reno stood where he was, completely uncertain of what to say. He had nothing to compare this to and no idea how to comfort the other man. He had never before felt the desire to comfort anyone.

Demyx sharply inhaled and seemed to will himself to pull his emotions back in. Something about that troubled Reno. The blonde smiled weakly. "I don't think we're going to find anything here that will help us."

Nodding, Reno pulled out a cigarette. "Is there anywhere else you want to look?"

Demyx shook his head, walking toward Reno. "Maybe we're going about this wrong."

"Whadya mean, yo?"

Demyx stopped beside him and looked up. "Maybe we need to find Sora."

"You heard Hayner, Sora hasn't been here in months." Reno turned his head enough so that he did not blow smoke in Demyx's face. "And it's not like people can just leave worlds whenever they want to. If we could, I wouldn't still be here."

He frowned at himself. Where had that come from? Yes, he had spent his first few months here researching the potential whereabouts of his old associates. He had learned the location of several of them but inter-world travel was not possible. In fact, most were not even aware there were other worlds.

The thought of trying to reach the others had not entered his mind because it was not something that was possible. Was that the only reason he had never truly considered it? If he found out he could leave Twilight Town, would he?

"Reno?" Demyx asked uncertainly.

Reno quickly snapped out of his thoughts. "Sora went home to Destiny Islands. From what I've pieced together, he's still able to travel between worlds and he goes to Radiant Garden a lot."

"So we just need to figure out a way to contact him." Demyx concluded.

"I guess."

Okay," the blonde was considerably happier. "Let's get out of here and go home then. We've got to start working on getting a message to Sora."

He took Reno's arm and led him out of the room, retracing their steps back up the stairs and heading out the front door of the mansion. He did not let go of the Turk's arm as he slowed enough to let Reno take the lead through the forest. The pair was quiet as they walked among the trees.

"Hey, Reno?"

"Yeah?"

There was a slight hesitation in Demyx's voice. "Thanks for coming here with me. I know it was kinda useless and we didn't learn anything but…"

"It wasn't pointless." Reno countered softly. "Maybe there wasn't any information we could use but I think _you_ needed to go there, yo. Closure or… some shit like that."

"Maybe." Demyx whispered.

"Do you feel different now that you've been there?"

The musician thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, I do. It was really painful walking through there but at the same time, I feel really happy I did. It's kinda like I feel I understand something better but I have no idea what."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Reno glanced over. Demyx was looking thoughtfully ahead of them. That really odd sense of contentment was tugging at Reno again. He quickly began talking again. "So what are you making for dinner?"

"Oh, uh, I haven't thought about that." Demyx grinned, flicking his green eyes at the tattooed man. "Is there anything you want me to make?"

Reno shrugged. "Not really."

"Okay, well I'll think of something by the time we get home." Demyx stated confidently as they passed through the broken wall.

He still had not released Reno's arm.


	9. Chapter 9

After dinner, Reno retreated to the couch as Demyx washed dishes. The blond had been very animated as he had cooked, trying to come up with ideas as to how to send Sora a message. He had quieted as they ate, occasionally flicking his eyes at Reno. The redhead had been rather sullen.

Once Demyx finished, he entered the main room and sat on the floor in the middle of the room. He placed his hands in his lap and studied Reno. The Turk had gotten himself a glass of whiskey and was idly swirling it over the arm of the couch.

He watched Reno stare off into the distance for a few minutes before hesitantly calling the man's name. It took a moment for the other to react and when he did, it was only to turn his head and look at him. There was a decidedly uncomfortable feeling in the room.

Abruptly, Reno downed the rest of his drink and stood. He set the glass on the end table and brushed past Demyx. "I'm going out, yo."

Demyx frowned at Reno's back as he headed for the door. "Do you-"

"Stay here."

Reno slammed the door behind him, leaving Demyx sitting alone in the middle of the room in stunned confusion. He did not understand any of the past several hours. Reno seemed troubled about something but he had no idea what.

Did he do something? Say something? None of this made sense to him.

He shook his head as he stood. His heart hurt again and he did not know why. All he wanted was… what? What exactly did he want? He knew he wanted to know what had happened to his friends and find out if any of them had somehow managed to return. …But then what?

He wandered over to where Reno's single picture sat. He picked it up and studied it. The redhead totally stood out from the rest of them. While he looked happy in the photo, Demyx had the distinct feeling that visible joy was masking something.

What, he had no idea.

He set it back down and went to the end table. He picked up the glass and brought it to the sink. After rinsing it out and drying it, he looked around for something else to do. He had not been alone since meeting up with Reno.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. Maybe Reno was getting tired of having him around. He still did not know why the man had taken him in or why he had done everything he had for him. Maybe the novelty was wearing off and now he wanted Demyx to leave.

He found himself tearing up at the thought. He did not want to leave. He liked being with Reno.

Why did his chest hurt _so bad?_

He headed back for the main room, picking up one of the throw pillows on the couch. He then threw himself down on that couch, laying on his side. Clutching the pillow to his chest, he closed his eyes and begged his chest to stop hurting.

Maybe having a heart was not such a great thing.

--0—0—

It had to be around three in the morning when Reno returned to his apartment. He opened the unlocked door, again marveling at how different this place was than Midgar. Back home, you triple locked your door and slept with a weapon nearby, even if you were in one of Shinra's official buildings.

The light was still on and the Turk shut the door behind him with a faint frown. He came around the couch and the frown deepened. He hunched down before the furniture and studied Demyx.

The blond had fallen asleep, tightly clutching a worn pillow to his chest. His eyes had the red, slightly swollen look one got from crying. Long stands of blond hair fell across them.

Reno reached out and gently moved them away. Slowly moving his hand away, he had to wonder what it was about this guy that made him actually care. Seeing him distraught truly upset him.

He waited a moment longer before lightly shaking Demyx's shoulder. "Hey, wake up, yo."

Demyx stirred a bit. On Reno's second prodding, a single green eye cracked open. "Mm… Reno?"

"Get up, yo. You can have the bed."

"No, that's…"

"Don't whine." Reno took the blond's arm and began lifting Demyx up. The former Nobody sluggishly got to his feet, most of his weight being supported by Reno.

Half-carrying Demyx, Reno guided the blond to the bedroom and set him on the bed. Demyx pulled off his shirt before lying down. He pulled the sheet over his half-dressed body. "Night, Reno."

Reno moistened his lips. Demyx was already asleep again. Shaking his head at himself, the redhead left the room and returned to the couch. He fell on to it rather heavily and leaned his head against the back.

Why the hell was he doing all of this?

--0—0—

Demyx blinked open his eyes, trying to remember how he had ended up in Reno's bedroom. Oh wait, Reno had come home last night. Demyx had a hazy memory of being guided in here from the couch.

He sat up and rolled his shoulders. He also remembered what he had been thinking when he fell asleep. Frowning to himself, he looked around the bare room. There was nothing here to indicate someone actually slept in here.

Now that he thought about it, the whole apartment was set up so that its occupant could abandon it at a moment's notice.

In a fit of panic, Demyx threw the blanket off and leapt off the bed. He nearly ran for the kitchen, afraid that Reno had only come back last night to get his few belongings and had abandoned him. He did not know what he would do if that was true.

He rounded into the main room and froze.

Reno stood near the far wall, nearly leaning against it. He had an odd look to his tattooed face and his blue eyes flicked over at Demyx's appearance. Some unknown emotion flitted within those eyes.

On the couch sat a medium-built man with impossibly spiky light blond hair. He turned his head and impossibly bright eyes gazed at him neutrally. The man wore all black and Demyx was momentarily reminded of Roxas.

From beside him, a head of shoulder-length silver hair leaned back. Pale skin covered strong cheekbones and a fine jaw. A faint smile highlighted bright aqua-colored eyes.

"Hello, Demyx."

--0--0--

Heh, so what do we think?


	10. Chapter 10

Note- This part's probably a bit weak but think of it as a transitional bit.

--0—0--

Demyx sputtered in confusion. "Riku? Why are you…? How…?"

Riku shook his head. "Slow down, Demyx, you'll break something."

Demyx fully entered the room, eyeing Reno as he sat on the floor. The Turk had kept a detached eye on him from the moment he had entered the room. There was something strange about Reno's expression. "What's going on?"

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us." Riku smirked at him. "You want to put a shirt on?"

"Huh?" Demyx looked down and blushed. "Oh, uh…"

"I'll get you one, yo." Reno pulled away from the wall and headed for the bedroom.

The blond beside Riku watched Reno leave and whistled lowly. "I've never seen Reno like this."

Demyx frowned, worry filling his eyes. "Is that bad? I didn't-"

Riku laughed loudly. He got up and went to kneel before the former Nobody. He placed both hands on his shoulders and forced him to look at him. "Calm down."

Taking a breath, Demyx nodded. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"I know." Riku pulled away, dropping his hands to his knees. "Congratulations on getting your heart."

"Here," Reno had returned and handed a red t-shirt o Demyx. Once it was taken, he returned to his spot along the wall. As the musician pulled it on, the redhead explained. "I went back to the mansion last night and looked around some more. I found a way to call Radiant Garden, called and got these two."

Demyx nodded, addressing Riku. "You guys know each other?"

"Cloud and Reno come from the same world," The silvered teen glanced over his shoulder at the blond on the sofa. "Cid got the call and sent us here."

"Oh." Demyx bit his lip. Looking between the other three, he felt the odd tension in the room. He did not understand it but he knew it was there. "So, uh, what happens now?"

The other blond, Cloud, shrugged. "That's up to you. We can bring you back with us or you can stay here."

A light, happy feeling spread through Demyx's chest. If anyone had answers to his questions, it was Riku. He had only met the twilight keybearer a few times but he had heard a lot about him from Axel. There was no doubt in his mind that Riku would help him as much as he could.

He turned toward Reno and that joy faded. Reno was staring at the far wall, a slight frown to his tattooed face. It was obvious the man was troubled.

Riku studied Demyx a moment and looked back at Cloud. The two seemed to somehow communicate to one another and Riku climbed to his feet. He held out his hand toward Demyx. "Come on."

Green eyes blinked and Demyx turned to Riku's waiting hand. Uncertainly, he took it and got up. He watched in fascination as Riku went over to Cloud and kissed him briefly before heading for the door.

Riku lifted a silver eyebrow at Demyx and the water-wielder quickly followed him out of the apartment. The teen led him from the building and down the street. They did not talk as they walked.

He ended up taking Demyx to the same street café he had first met Reno.

"What do you want?" Riku asked after ordering a large coffee and a scone. "And don't try telling me you aren't hungry. No one ever lets me get away with that and I'm not going to let you."

"Oh, uh, a fruit juice and bagel, I guess." Demyx spoke absently. He worried his lip as he looked over at the row of tables outside.

Riku nudged him and handed over his breakfast. He saw where Demyx was staring at and a faint grin tugged at his mouth. "Let's sit outside."

The blond's breath hitched a bit but he merely nodded. Going outside, Riku led him to the exact table Reno had been at. The teen sat opposite of where the redhead had been and after a moment's hesitation, Demyx sat with him.

Demyx set his bagel and juice on the table and placed his hands in his lap. He bounced minutely in his chair. He had no idea why he was suddenly so agitated.

Riku watched him for some time, sipping on his flavored coffee. Casually, not even setting his cup down, he angled his head. "What are you feeling right now, Demyx?"

What did he feel? The better question was what didn't he feel. There were at least a dozen emotions flitting through him and he could not for the life of him figure out what any of them were.

"I don't know." Demyx replied softly. He gazed down at the table. Suddenly, he wanted to cry. "There's just… too much going on in here." He placed a hand to his chest. "It's too much."

Nodding, Riku set his cup upon the table. "I want you to try to relax and just let the emotions come."

"That sounds hard."

Riku smiled. "Oh, trust me, it is."

Demyx studied him curiously. "Back at the apartment, you kissed Cloud."

Riku angled his head. "Yes I did."

"I didn't know you were…" Demyx trailed off, feeling stupid. "I mean…"

Chuckling, the silvered one leaned back in his chair. "Axel knew about it. I was with Cloud when I met you."

"Oh." He looked away. Biting his lip shyly, he looked out across the street. "Do you love him?"

"With all of my heart."

"Do you think," Demyx had no idea where he was going with this. "Do you think Axel loved Roxas?"

When Riku did not answer, the dark blond turned toward him. At the teen's contemplative expression, Demyx frowned. He did not know what Riku was thinking.

"I think he believed he did." Riku spoke slowly. "I really can't answer that question. Love is different for everyone and what one person feels will not be the same as another."

"Oh."

The keybearer's expression did not change. "Why all the questions about love?"

"No reason." Demyx said rather defensively.

A corner of Riku's lip twitched. "Okay."

They fell quiet and Riku again began sipping on his coffee. Demyx took a drink of his juice. He forced himself to think about what the other had asked him earlier.

"You know, I really had no clue how messed up real feeling can get." The musician shook his head. "I feel… happy and excited because I know I'm going to get some answers and I'm a little scared because of what those answers might be."

He glanced at Riku uncertainly. "This is probably going to sound weird but I'm worried about Reno, too."

Riku angled his head. "Why?"

"I don't know. Something's just… different with him now."

A muffled song rang out and Riku sat up to reach in his pocket. He pulled out a phone and began speaking into it. "Yeah. Okay… What do you think? Huh." He glanced at Demyx. "We're fine. Okay, we'll head back."

An even more uneasy feeling settled in Demyx's chest as he watched Riku pocket the phone. He stood and motioned Demyx to follow, only taking his coffee with him. "Do you want a cup or bag?"

"Uh, no."

Riku nodded, moving away from the table. "Time to head back."

Demyx did not like the sound of that and obediently followed.


	11. Chapter 11

I'm not horribly happy with how this part turned out but I needed to get through it for the next. That one should be much smoother.

--0—0—

After Riku and Demyx left, Reno continued to stare across the room. He knew Cloud would not make him talk and for some reason that annoyed him. The blond was just so damn… passive.

"So."

Cloud angled his head. A single eyebrow rose up in query.

"You're not going to ask anything, yo?"

Cloud smirked. "I have no doubt you'll start telling me anything you want me to know without me having to ask."

Glowering, Reno turned and went into the kitchen area. As much as he really wanted a good, stiff drink right now, he instead opted for starting coffee brewing. Everything was located easy enough; Demyx was almost compulsively organized. "You gonna want some of this?"

"Sure."

Once he had the coffee going, the Turk hovered in the division of kitchen and living room. He leaned against the wall and studied Cloud for a moment. "How long have you and the kid been shackin' up?"

"Almost three years." Intense blue-eyes hardened. "And don't call Riku that."

Reno snorted. "Would you prefer mini-Seph?"

Cloud's expression became as harsh as his eyes. "Don't joke about that either, Reno."

An amused grin managed to make its way across Reno's face. "Oh, I can't wait to hear the story behind this, yo."

"And I'm waiting to hear yours."

The grin fell and Reno turned back into the kitchen. The coffee was almost finished brewing and he retrieved two mugs for it. He knew he was going to have to explain things to Cloud but he was putting it off for as long as he could.

Last night, when he had figured out how he could make a call out, he had spent a solid twenty minutes debating whether he should or not. He was content with his life in Twilight Town. He knew that by reaching out and contacting these people from his past, everything would change again.

He had known some of the others were out there and he could admit to himself that he was scared to find out exactly who had not survived. The other Turks, hell even Rufus, really had been his family and he did not like to think that they were out there somewhere wandering aimlessly. Somehow, he felt better not knowing.

Then Demyx had entered his life and now, he found himself wanting to know. The other man, who had not even realized he had a heart to feel with, cared so much about what had been his family. They were all Demyx thought about. It made Reno realize just how detached he had become.

It was not a revelation that he liked.

Jerking his head once, he snapped himself from this train of thought. Pouring out the coffee, he grabbed the sugar bowl. He lazily held both mugs in one hand, the sugar in the other and brought the items out to the sofa.

Setting the sweetener on the end table, he held the mugs out to Cloud for him to take one. The blond did so, glancing at the table with a faint smile. "You remembered that."

Snorting, Reno moved away and retook his position against the wall. "How could I forget with how often you would bitch and moan about there never being enough sugar? I swear, I don't know how Zack fucking put up with you, yo."

Cloud shrugged, spooning out several heaps of the sugar into his mug. The pair lapsed into another moment of silence. They drank their beverages, not bothering to look at each other.

Reno was halfway through his when he decided he had had enough of this. He lowered his mug and fixed his blue eyes on the small window in the kitchen. "Do you think you can help Demyx find who he's looking for?"

Cloud brought his own mug down and rested his forearms on his legs. "I don't know. As far as we know, no one else from the Organization had returned. Riku was completely stunned about Demyx being alive."

Reno slowly nodded. He figured as much but Demyx was so desperate for any information, the Turk felt it was worth taking the chance. He really did not want the former Nobody to continue wondering about his friends fates.

However, he found himself pondering what Demyx would do with any information he got. What if all he got was the depressing news that he was the only one? That could break the sensitive man's still fragile heart. Reno did not what Demyx to experience that.

"You really care about what happens to Demyx." Cloud's voice was as soft as ever.

Reno flicked his gaze over and abruptly snorted. He set his mug on a shelf and searched for a pack of cigarettes. "The kid needs someone to look out for him."

Cloud did not reply to this, simply watching Reno pace around the room. When the redhead finally located the new pack he sought, he quickly opened them and stuffed one in his mouth. Lighting it, he blew out some smoke and his eyes caught on the one picture he owned.

He still was not sure why he had that particular photograph on him when The Planet was overrun.

Still looking at the image, he found himself asking, "Who else made it?"

Cloud leaned back into the cushions. "Cid, Tifa and the kids, Yuffie, Aerith-"

Reno looked over sharply. "Aerith? As in the Ancient? How the hell does that work, yo?"

"I wish I knew." The blond stated softly, an odd, distant tone to his words. He quickly broke himself of it. "There's a rumor that Vincent and Reeve survived and are on Traverse Town but we haven't had a chance to look into."

"No one else?"

Cloud shook his head. "But that doesn't mean they can't be out there."

The Turk shrugged indifferently. He hoped the others were out there somewhere, particularly Rude. Of all the Turks, he definitely missed his buddy the most. With a completely false lack of concern, he turned and pulled the cigarette from his mouth. "So, what's the plan?"

The expression on Cloud's face clearly read that he knew Reno's suddenly carefree attitude was a facade. Instead of calling him on it, Cloud set his mug beside the sugar bowl. "There are several options. It all depends on what you and Demyx decide you want to do."

"It doesn't matter what I want." Reno rushed out. "This is about Demyx, not me."

The barest trace of a smile tugged the corner of Cloud's lip. Again, he said nothing. Instead he simply removed his phone from his pocket. He pressed a few keys and waited.

Reno ignored the conversation. He quickly finished off his smoke and almost immediately started another one. He was beginning to really regret making that phone call.


	12. Chapter 12

Yes, I know. It's been forever. I'm working on catching up on everything, I promise. I'm dedicating this chapter to Reno's boyfriend because...well, I can and he's the one who prompted me to work on this story again.

* * *

Demyx hesitated at the foot of the apartment building's steps. Riku stopped beside him and gave the dark blond a curious look. Demyx was not sure why he was suddenly afraid.

He glanced at Riku and the teenager showed him an understanding smile. Even though he still did not get what that understanding was for, he took comfort in it. He smiled back and continued up the stairs to the second floor.

When they walked into the apartment, Demyx's green eyes were immediately drawn to Reno. The redhead was sitting with his back against the wall, tattooed eyes fixed on his shoes. There was a terse feeling to how his body was positioned.

Blue eyes flicked up for a moment. Reno's eyes met his and a muscle in his cheek twitched. "Have fun?"

Demyx shrugged. He went over to the bookcase and sat on the carpet just within arm reach of Reno. They did not look at one another.

Riku and Cloud watched the two a moment before glancing at one another. They shared some kind of silent communication and Riku moved around the sofa. He settled down on the floor near Cloud's legs, placing a hand on his knee.

"Well, start talking, Strife," Reno spoke curtly, snuffing out his cigarette in the ashtray beside him. "Demyx needs to know his options."

Cloud lifted an eyebrow minutely. He's expression then fell back into its passive one as he set his attention on Demyx. "Before we start overwhelming you with possibilities, what exactly do you want?"

The former Nobody blinked. "What…what do you mean?"

Riku took up the conversation. "You have been given something…that until now was believed to be impossible. You aren't the first person to return from death but you are the first Nobody to really become alive. Obviously there has to be a million thoughts and questions going through your mind, dozens of emotions you've only heard about. Is there anything that comes first and foremost that you want?"

Demyx thought about it for a few minutes. "Well, the whole emotion thing still has me all mixed up but Reno's been helping a lot with that."

"Has he?" Cloud nearly smirked at the Turk. Reno merely started up another cigarette.

"Yeah," Demyx glanced over at Reno in an almost shy manner. "He's been really great. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met him."

Reno flicked his eyes at the other man and managed a weak smile.

Riku rubbed affectionately at Cloud's leg as he spoke again. "Good. It's amazing how much of an effect one person can have on you."

Demyx nodded his agreement then looked at Riku and Cloud. "What I really want right now is to find out what happened to the others. Reno told me the basics about what happened with Xemnas and you and Sora stopping him. I just want to _know_ about things, like, details or something."

"Basically, you want closure," concluded Cloud.

"Yeah, I guess." The darker blond scratched at his head. "I mean, it would be awesome if any of the others were alive, too, but I doubt there's really any way to find that out without going around and looking."

Riku glanced at Cloud and again they appeared to be silently communicating. Demyx found it fascinating how they did this. He wondered if he would ever get to know someone well enough to read them like that.

"Well," the silvered one began, idly reaching up to brush at his lengthy bangs. "The main thing you need to decide is if you want to stay here or come with us to Radiant Garden."

Demyx frowned, "Radiant Garden?"

"Yes. I don't know how much Xemnas told you but he and several of the others originated from Radiant Garden," explained Riku.

"I knew that," Demyx placed his hands in his lap. "Zexion told me a little bit about that. He said that he, Xaldin, Xigbar, Lexaeus, Vexen, and the Superior were all apprentices to Ansem the Wise before they became Nobodies."

He thought for a moment. It sounded like most of the answers he wanted were going to be there, if they were anywhere. It was probably best if he went with Riku and Cloud there. They might even be able to find out if anyone else had come back like he had.

Demyx then glanced over at Reno. The redhead was still staring at his shoes and very quiet. In fact, Reno had not said anything since the conversation started; he just sat there slowly smoking cigarette after cigarette.

If he left, would Reno come with them also? Reno seemed rather settled in Twilight Town and Demyx figured that the Turk probably had no desire to leave. He certainly had not tried to before this and when he had asked a few days ago, Reno had pretty much brushed the question off.

Demyx wanted to go to Radiant Garden but he did not want to leave Reno. The man had been alone here for a long time and seemed to like having a companion. Demyx did not want to leave him alone again.

Then again, maybe Reno did not want him around any more. He was the one to call Radiant Garden and got Riku to come here. Maybe he was tired of Demyx hanging around and just did not want to hurt is feelings.

That thought hurt.

Reno flicked his blue eyes at Demyx for a moment. There was some unreadable emotion within them. Abruptly, the Turk climbed to his feet and headed for the kitchen.

Cloud watched after him and after a beat, he turned to Riku. He gave the teen a simple nod which Riku returned. He then turned back to Demyx. "You don't have to decide anything at this very moment. Riku and I don't have to go back until tomorrow night."

Demyx worried his lip. "Okay."

Riku gave the former Nobody a reassuring smile as he stood up. Cloud followed shortly after. "We're going to go out to the mansion and see if I can find anything you guys may have missed. Now I'm kinda upset that Roxas thrashed the computer. I probably could have found a lot of info there."

"I don't know what else you could find there," Reno commented from the kitchen archway. He leaned against it with a bottle of soda. "We were pretty thorough, yo."

Riku smirked lightly. "I lived in that mansion for several months. I'm pretty sure I know things about it you don't."

Reno shrugged and took a drink. "Have fun over there, Strife. "The place has that creepy Shinra Manor feel."

Cloud lifted an eyebrow. "Really."

"Yeah, there's a lot of similarities between the two places only this one didn't give birth to a psycho."

Riku narrowed his eyes at Reno but Cloud placed a hand on his shoulder. The teen relaxed at the touch but he still gave Reno a strong glare. He held his tongue and headed for the door.

Cloud glanced over his shoulder as they left. "We'll check in with you in a few hours."

The couple walked out and the door shut heavily behind them. Reno did not look at Demyx as he went over to the sofa and threw himself down upon it. Demyx found he could not stop watching him.

Both were silent for a long time.


	13. Chapter 13

Yeah, I know. It's been, like, forever. I'm really behind in everything. Hopefully, this doesn't read too disjointedly. I think there's only going to be one more chapter to this one.

--0--0--

Reno heaved out a breath and stared at the ceiling. He knew Demyx was waiting for him to say something but he did not know what there was to say. Probably a lot but hell if he knew how to start something like this.

Besides, it was Demyx's decision as to whether he wanted to leave with Cloud and Riku.

"Reno?"

"Yeah?" The Turk did not turn his head.

There was long moment before Demyx spoke again. When he did there was grave uncertainty in his voice. "What do you think I should do?"

Reno shrugged against the sofa cushions. "Dunno, not my call. This is your thing, not mine."

"But…" The other trailed off. He bit his lip and tried to verbalize his thoughts. "You've been helping me through all of this. I don't know if I…"

"You'll be fine." Reno waved the hand holding his soda. "All I've done is take you a few places and buy you some clothes, yo. Anyone could have done that. Strife and his boy will be able to help you weed through any information there."

Demyx felt something in his chest flare up and he began shouting at Reno. "That isn't what I mean! I could do all that stuff on my own. It might have taken longer but I know how to do research and investigate! That's practically all I did in the Organization!"

He climbed to his feet and started pacing the length of the room. "It's all this _other_ stuff that I need you for!"

Reno sat up, expression slightly confused. "What other stuff?"

The dark blond's abrupt anger was fading now and a hint of embarrassment was beginning to color his cheeks. "You… you really don't know everything you've done for me, do you?"

The Turk slowly shook his head.

Demyx's shoulders slumped and he let out a heavy breath. He turned away from the sofa and looked at the bookshelves behind him. "I thought… forget it. I guess I really am lost when it comes to these things."

Reno watched Demyx for a moment. Something in his chest tightened and he decided he could not stand to see the other man like this. Demyx was not meant to be sad or troubled or worried… He simply did not want Demyx unhappy.

"Dem." The redhead stood but did not approach the former Nobody.

The named man shook his head. His chest hurt more than he could put words to and he felt moisture collect in the corners of his eyes. "When Riku comes back, I'll go with them. Thank you for letting me stay here and calling them."

What the hell was going on here? Reno knew he was missing something, something extremely important. Demyx was obviously upset about something he said but for the life of him he could not figure out what.

Sighing, Reno turned. "If that's what you want, yo."

Demyx tensed up. He did not look back but he knew Reno was walking away. He didn't want that. Suddenly, the idea of being separated from the Turk was unthinkable. "Wait."

Reno paused. "What?"

"What, what are you going to do?"

"Me?"

"Yeah," Demyx managed to collect himself and faced the other man. "You don't have to stay here, you know. You could go to Radiant Garden, too. Maybe you'd be able to find some more of your friends."

Reno looked over his shoulder. Demyx's green eyes were slightly puffy and blood-shot. Had the musician been crying? Why would he do that? He was getting what he wanted: the opportunity to find out what happened to his associates and figure out why he was given a heart of his own. There was no reason for Demyx to be sad.

Moistening his lower lip, Reno began searching his pockets for a cigarette. He had this compulsive need to do _something_. "Yeah, I guess I could but…"

"But what?" Demyx pressed.

"Well, you saw how Cloud reacted to me," Reno cast his eyes about. He spotted a pack on the bookshelf just over Demyx's shoulder. "Him and his friends…they don't have much reason to like me, yo. It's better if I just stay here."

"Better for them or you?" Demyx shot back. He folded his arms and gave Reno a harsh look. "I know you have a bad history with them but mine isn't any better. Heck, I tried to kill Riku's best friend twice! Everyone there is gonna know I was with the Organization and no one's going to want to trust me either."

Reno gave up on the cigarette idea. He walked over to the window, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I did a lot worse to them, Demyx. Toward the end, I kinda started coming to an understanding with Strife but… the others aren't going to be so forgiving."

"So what?" Demyx waved animatedly. "Are you just gonna stay here and hide? I thought you cared about your friends, that you'd want to take the chance given to you and maybe find them!"

Reno whipped his head toward him. "I'm not hiding."

Demyx snorted. "It sure as heck sounds like it to me."

The Turk's jaw tightened. No one called a Turk a coward. That was one of the biggest insults that could be made and usually the person who made it was proven wrong and dealt with quickly.

Only it was not that part of the conversation that imbedded itself into his heart. Demyx had accused him of not caring about his friends. That was so far from the truth it bordered on lunacy. The Turks had been more than his friends, they were his family.

It hurt terribly that Demyx could think so lowly of him after all this time.

"You really think that, don't you?" Reno muttered, staring out the window. "You believe that I don't care about anyone but myself."

"That isn't…" Demyx trailed off. Reno appeared to be completely dismayed by Demyx's statement. The blond had never seen Reno this upset before and he hated it.

He quickly took the few steps that separated them. Raising his hand hesitantly, he placed it on the redhead's upper arm. Those tears that had been threatening to fall earlier returned. "I didn't mean it like that, Reno."

"I miss them," said Reno softly. "Especially Rude. He was… my best friend, my brother, it was always us against the world, ya know? And Elena was always there for a random joke or to just forget about things for awhile. Then there was Tseng, who watched over all of us and did everything he could to make our lives easier."

Demyx nodded, absently rubbing Reno's arm in a reassuring manner.

"I want to know what happened to them but…" Reno took in a breath and chuckled without humor. "Maybe I am afraid to know."

Demyx bit his lip. He had no idea what to say to the man, if he even was supposed to say something. He knew there were times when it was better to just let a person be but he was uncertain if this was one of those times.

Something within him, however, was saying that what he was doing was correct so he continued. He remained quiet and simply kept up with his gentle touch. He only hoped it was actually helping.

After a few minutes, Reno made a noise and shook his head once. He had to snap out of this before he fell into a depressive fit and did something really stupid. At any other time, he would be chastising himself for this moment he had allowed himself.

Somehow, it felt okay to be a little vulnerable with Demyx.

Quite subconsciously, Reno reached up and took hold of the hand Demyx was touching him with. He held it place for a beat, then squeezed it and released the hand. He stepped away from Demyx and headed for the bookcase.

Taking his cigarettes, he found himself unable to look at Demyx. He pulled a stick out and lit it. "So you're going, yo?"

Demyx waited a moment before answering. "Yeah."

Reno nodded, taking a slow drag.

Demyx watched him. He had no idea what Reno was thinking. It did not seem that the other one had any real desire to stay here but no strong want to leave. Well, it that was the case…

Demyx knew what he wanted and it was worth taking the chance. "Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to come with me to Radiant Garden."


	14. Chapter 14

Here's the last chapter (yes, I reposted, the last version was REALLY icky). Thanks so much for supporting this odd pairing and if you want more with them, check out my Words Are Power. There's a good amount of them in the last half or so.

* * *

The small apartment was quiet, an expectant feeling settling around the two men who occupied it. Demyx watched Reno, feeling surprisingly calm. He had posed his request, told the other man exactly what he wanted and now all he could do was wait for the Turk's response.

Reno had not looked at him since before the statement was made. His expression remained unchanged but Demyx knew he was seriously thinking something over. What he was uncertain of was whether it was due to the possibilities that had suddenly been laid out before him or something else entirely.

A good five minutes passed before blue eyes flicked toward him. "Why?"

"Because," Demyx replied, hoping the redhead would not push for more detail. He honestly did not know what he would say.

"That isn't a reason, Demyx." Reno's cigarette had burned down to the filter but he did not make any movement to get rid of it.

Worrying his lower lip, Demyx shrugged in what he hoped was a dismissive gesture. "Well, you don't really want to stay here, now do you?"

"It's not a bad place." Reno glanced away again, turning his face to the kitchen. "I've done alright here, yo. I don't got much reason to leave."

"But you have a good reason to leave," blurted out Demyx. He immediately fell quiet after saying it. He did not know why he felt so… mixed up.

He wanted Reno to come with him to Radiant Garden to be with people he knew again. There might have been some tension at first but Demyx truly believed that in the end, Reno would be accepted despite anything he may have done. He was a wonderful and caring person at heart; he deserved to be happy and Demyx did not think he could ever be so hiding here in Twilight Town.

When he thought about it further, though, he realized that there was a secondary reason he wanted Reno to come with. The other man was important to him, more so than he ever imagined. When he had nothing, no direction and not a thing to hold on to, Reno had come into his life and given him something. The idea of losing the redhead now was painful enough to make him want to stay.

No matter what the outcome, he simply did not want to leave Reno's side.

The Turk took a breath and finally pulled away from the wall. He dropped his cigarette butt into an ashtray then headed over to the sofa. He fell back onto it without theatrics, placing his hands behind his head. "Do I, Dem?"

"Yeah, I want you with me." The words had left Demyx before he really considered them. His eyes widened slightly as the implications of everything that simple statement could mean began flitting through his mind.

Reno turned his head just enough to look at the former Nobody. He kept his expression neutral but he was carefully analyzing what Demyx had just said. It was not so much the words as the emotion that had been in his voice as he said them. There had been an almost pleading… longing tone to it.

Reno was uncertain as to how to react to that. He wanted to simply tell himself that Demyx said it only because he had only had Reno for a companion since returning and was now afraid of losing that friendship. Over the past few days, the Turk had also grown quite accustomed to having the blond around. While he was pretty sure that at least for the first day or so after Demyx left with Cloud, it would be rough, he would deal. Turks were not supposed to become attached.

Beneath that, however, an entirely different idea was slowly forming, one he was extremely uncertain about. While he would be the first to admit he was far from an expert when it came to emotions and feelings and all that, he was not completely out-of-touch with himself. He knew when he felt something even if he did not allow those things to surface.

He liked Demyx. He liked the kid a lot more than he wanted to admit. Somewhere along the way, Demyx had gotten beneath his skin and Reno found that he really did not mind at all. In fact, it felt oddly good. He had only connected with one other this strongly and that had been a more… brotherly bond.

What he felt toward Demyx was very different than what he had experienced with Rude.

Reno turned his gaze up toward the ceiling. "Tell me something, Dem. If I come with you to Radiant Garden and you find your friends, what happens?"

Demyx blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Just that. I told you, Cloud and the rest of them don't much care for me. What happens to me if you find your friends and go off with them?"

"I wouldn't do that," Demyx stated quickly. "All I want is to know what happened to the others. Most of them didn't like me much, either, remember? And while Riku likes me okay and Sora will probably forgive me, the others are going to be suspicious of me. You and me, we're in the same boat, Reno! It's been you and me all this time and it's gonna be the same on Radiant Garden no matter what happens!"

The musician's words had gotten increasingly passionate as he spoke. It upset him that Reno thought he would just drop him if he located any of the other members of the Organization. "What about you, Reno? What if you get there and find the people you used to hang with? Would you just leave me for them?"

Reno was silent, continuing to stare at the ceiling. Demyx was afraid of what he would say when he did finally respond. He had hoped that maybe Reno had come to care for him as he had recently begun realizing he did for Reno. It was strange but whenever he thought about Reno, he got this warm feeling and that had only been getting stronger as the time passed.

Blue eyes blinked once and with a light breath, Reno sat up. He slouched against the sofa back, arms lying limply at his sides. It was another moment before he lifted his head to look Demyx straight on. "No, I wouldn't leave you, Demyx."

And Reno meant that. Even if he located Rude, the only one of the Turks that meant something deep and personal to him, he knew that he could not just walk away from Demyx. He had no idea how the green-eyed man had come to mean so much to him but somehow, in the course of less than a week, Demyx had become very important to him.

He was not used to having attachments.

The pair fell into an awkward yet somehow comfortable period of quiet. Both had touched upon how they felt about not only the situation but their feelings toward the other. Though it remained unspoken, each of them now understood that there was a bond between them and neither one wanted to break it. The only real question that remained was what they wanted to happen next.

"Come here," Reno softly prompted.

Demyx headed to the couch slowly, uncertain about what Reno's reason for calling him over was. A hundred different scenarios played through his head, a total mix of positive and negative. He decided as he sat that regardless of what Reno's decision was, the redhead would always be his dear friend. Even if he remained here in Twilight Town, Demyx would be sure to see him as often as possible.

Reno glanced at him. "You sure you want to face all that potential shit on Radiant Garden?"

"Yeah," Demyx nodded. "And if I have to do it alone, then I will, but…" he bit his lip shyly, "I'd rather not if I don't have to."

Reno studied him for a beat before casually reaching over and moving on of the strands of hair that hung in front of Demyx's face. "It kinda sucks being alone, yo."

The blond snorted. "Yeah, it does but you get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it again."

Demyx narrowed his eyes slightly. Was Reno saying what he thought he was? It seemed too much to hope for.

"So let's not get used to it again." Reno abruptly sat up and reached into his pocket. He had made his decision and now that he had, he wanted to hurry up and move on. He really did hate sitting idle and when he thought about it that was all he had been doing since coming to Twilight Town. It was way past time to do something and if he had Demyx to do that with… all the better.

Demyx eyed Reno curiously as he dialed a number and waited. He had no idea what the Turk was doing or who he was calling. When Reno winked at him, he felt his heart stir and smiled. Both things increased as he heard Reno speak.

"Yo, Cloud. You and your pretty boy need to get back here and pick us up. Me and Dem are tired of this place."


End file.
